Two Eyes Cenote [WP] You don't have to be a star

Prompt: "your character feels extra confident in their singing ability, and breaks out into song!" with @Eset <3

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Moss, having heard the news of a ceremony in the desert kingdom, had let their adventure's spirit get the better of them. Having secured permission, he embarked on the journey into the unknown, promising to return with tales and gifts from the sands.

The descent to the lowlands unfolded with breathtaking views and a cold that nipped at Moss's fur, but it was the approach to the gathering place that truly captivated their wandering soul- with enough new sights, sounds, and smells to satisfy the curiosity of any rambler.

Having arrived at what Moss could only describe as a palace earlier that morning, he happily deposited his gift with one of the servants before promptly passing out in the lodgings designated to him. Then it had been time to prepare for the coronation, and feeling severely underdressed, Moss sought help donning one of the mixtures he had seen others use to paint their eyes, opting for a dusty red made from the surrounding soil. A cicada's gleaming body nestled at their throat served as a final embellishment, and feeling quite pretty, Moss ventured to the otherworldly hall, making sure to commit every fantastical detail of the event to memory.

━☽ ⁺˚⋆｡°₊ ☾ ━

After the cheers subsided and the guests dispersed, Moss headed to the refreshments, indulging in a bite to eat and a sip of the fermented drink to ease the crowd-induced anxiety.

Retreating to what seemed like the most secluded corner, Moss observed the interactions of fellow revelers, humming softly to himself. The tune, lively and matching the celebratory atmosphere, resonated as Moss, blissfully unaware of their volume, transitioned gradually from under-breath humming to full-fledged singing. They joyfully repeated lines from the tune, their tail keeping time with the beat.

Fortunately for the gathered crowd, Moss wasn't quite inebriated enough to purposefully raise his voice, and the melody, though not a bard's masterpiece, added a touch of warmth to the festivities.

Everyone is polluted.

She’d done her smiling. Now she wanted to be drunk and having her way with the wedding gifts or a stranger she’d never see the face of.

She’d briefly set her tray of fermented fruits down to be swallowed by the shadows. The feldspar wall was cool on her back as she looked out onto dancing guests and courtiers in their glory, clattering their adornments, throwing their heads back in laughter.

The fellahin was intent upon spying when a lovely song misted through the hall for her ear. She chose to follow the thread of a wisping voice.

In darkness the little bird was just beyond vision. Gently, though unannounced, the coywolf lingered aside to better hear their words.

Sono tojita kokoro ima kojiake na
Ak-
Moss, who had been shifting his weight on his paws, paused as something moved in the corner of his vision, cutting him off. Green eyes flashed to gold as a warm smile spread over the silver-touched maw, Oh! Hello! Did I take your corner? They let their tail, which had frozen mid-thump, fall to the ground.

“Not at all, honored guest- I am sorry to have startled you,” the fellahin apologizes, meeting their soft green gaze with a flush. They'd no doubt staked this remote corner for a moment of quietude and she'd spoiled it to have crept upon them. But their smile is kind and does not dissuade so she steps further into their light.

“Your song is beautiful,” she compliments with an earnest lift to her ears, hoping they are not embarrassed to have been overheard.

“May I bring you something to drink?”

Oh! I didn't realize I was being so loud, haha, I'm glad it was at least enjoyable though! Moss raised a paw to his face, concealing a wide smile, and the hot flush of his cheeks.

No thank you, miss, I think I've already had quite enough tonight. A small giggle escaped his throat.

As the stranger stepped nearer, the small wolf let out a little gasp, Oh wow! You're so pretty! I love the makeup you did! It makes your eyes pop like wow! I did some too! Mine's red- They closed their eyes and leaned forward a bit on one paw, their tail smacking the wall behind them See?

“You are very kind,” she smiles, “thank you.”

A calmness unfurls across her skin and she leans forward to have a better look of their own adornments. The red shone like the embers of a last fire over their earthen hues. It was striking. “It is lovely- you are a true artist.”

“I am Eset, handmaiden to Pharaoh Toula,” she introduces with a bow before glancing at the vacant space beside them.

“May I- join you?” It is too bold a request for her rank, but truly she wanted to know more of this wolf who smells of green forests and drenched rain.

Thank you for the compliment, but I can't take all the credit! I got help from... From, uh... Moss trailed off, his face falling quite suddenly as realization dawned. I never got their name! He turned to Eset, ears drooping and guilt dripping off every syllable. I wanted to tell them thank you again, he grumbled, turning back to look at the floor with a pout.

His sulking was -thankfully- quickly interrupted by the introduction, and Moss, wanting to be as gentlemanly as possible out of respect for his hosts, stood to introduce himself as well.

My name is Moss, Miss Eset. It's a pleasure to meet you, they responded, closing their eyes and attempting to mirror the low, respectful bow- before remembering that they did not, in fact, have four good legs, but only three. The infuriating leg fell from beneath the small wolf's weight, causing their eyes to shoot open in panic, front legs sprawled out to find balance. They sprung up awkwardly, Uh, hang on a sec, face redder than the eyeshadow they had just been mourning, this is, uh, new, sorry. I can, uh- let me try again, he stammered, sinking to the floor more purposefully this time.
Front paws apart, careful of your weight, and success!
He looked up to Eset in triumph, It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am.

Oh, of course! I'd be honored! They turned, looking for something soft to offer her to rest on and found nothing. Instead, he did the only other thing he could think of, which was to scoot down the wall and give her the prized corner seat, Please, make yourself comfortable.

She rushes forward, “please, let me help-"

An arm clasps about their shoulder though Moss is quick to independently right himself in order to curve once more into a bow that illicits a flush of embarrassment from the fellahin. She glances aside nervously, but she is charmed, finding their coltish energy equally as diverting as it is endearing.

“Thank you,” She wants to protest as he concedes his place to her, but instead will clamp her lips in a controlled smile and seat herself. Their floral scent fills her nose and she realizes then how aptly suited their name is.

“Where are you visiting from, Moss?”

Noticing the forced nature of the smile and general unease, Moss came to the sobering realization that there had been a faux pas but wasn't sure what it was. They moved to the side uncomfortably, wanting to ensure Eset had enough space. His green eyes met hers for only a second, the gaze confused and searching for an answer- before they fell back to the crowd. Maybe it would just be better to move on and be more mindful.

I'm visiting from Kvarsheim, a pack that resides in the valley northeast of here. It's not a far journey, but I followed the trail the other guests had set, so I ended up taking the long way around, but I don't regret it; the views were beautiful. They replied, closing their eyes to better recall the memory. Do you like traveling much? He asked after a moment, tilting his head to the side.

There is unease in the glance exchanged and instinct tells her that perhaps Moss had not noticed that her role here is to serve. But they  swiftly occupy the lull with a story from their journey to the lowlands and the fellahin is grateful to listen.  Kvarsheim is such a strange word. She imagines wild terrains to match it.

“I’ve not been many places- though, I am planning a trip soon. Is there somewhere you’d recommend I visit, Moss?” She asks out of politeness. Eset already knew exactly where she was going.

“Is it what you sing of? Your travels?”

Oh, how exciting! Do you mind me asking where you'll be headed? Somewhere nice, I hope? Moss asked before lifting a paw to his chin in thought. Hmm... I'm told that in the warmer seasons, one of the fields near Kvarshiem erupts into thousands of colors. Nothing but wildflowers and bees as far as the eye can see. I think that would be a place worth visiting, He decided, turning back to Eset with a grin.

Oh! The song? No, but I did learn it on my travels from a pack I stayed with before coming here. One of the members was singing it and liked how it sounded so much that I asked them to teach me. Have you ever had something like that?

“Perhaps to the West, I have always been curious about wetlands. I hear the mountains are very tall.” Was it a strange remark? She did not know. The desert and its flattened steppes had the whole of her heart.

“A prairie of wildflowers, I imagine that is very peaceful,” she looks into his eyes. "I think I would like to see that some day."

“There are many songs here, but not like your's,” though there is a vague familiarity about the language he sings in after spending time with Keiko. “Would you mind teaching me?”

That will make for an exciting journey, I'm sure, they responded with an excited chirp in their tone. Wetlands are very nice when they're in bloom, but make sure you watch out for the bugs; they carry some nasty diseases. There are some plants you can carry that will make them less aggressive, though, he thought for a moment, they might be a bit hard to find until the frost melts.

Yeah, the mountains are really big. Bigger than you'd ever be able to imagine, Moss remarked as he nodded in agreement. You can't fully grasp their size until they stand at the very tippy top, where the clouds tickle your nose, and you gaze out over the earth below. It takes your breath away. The landscape beneath you is a vibrant tapestry of colors and textures, as if the earth itself were an artist's canvas. The forests are a deep shade of green, the rivers and lakes shimmer with a bright blue hue, and you can feel the warm golden light that basks the fields and deserts. It's as if every detail of the earth's beauty has been painstakingly rendered by a master painter. From up there, even the biggest creatures, such as bears, elk, and, although most don't like to think of it, even us wolves, appear tiny and insignificant, no bigger than ants. It's a humbling experience. It'll make you realize one of the great truths of the world, I think. The traveler's voice grew dreamier and seemingly farther away with every further description, obviously being pulled into a memory, and he tried his best to find the words to pull Eset in too, so she might experience it with him. Then, with the last line, he was sitting back in the hall, looking at his companion with a smile.

I have not visited that one in particular, but if it is like any of the others, I'm sure it will be, Moss concurred, meeting her golden irises for a moment and appreciating the beauty found within. If you decide to visit in the spring, you might be able to stay with Kvarsheim for a few nights while you rest. I'd have to talk with Tauris about it, but I don't think she'd mind. She looks cranky, but she has a very warm heart. It is an ailment to her sometimes, I think, having a heart so big. He finished to himself thoughtfully.

I'd be delighted. I'm not sure I could teach you the entire thing in one night, but I'll be staying for the celebration all week. If I'm not being too bold, might I request your company again? Maybe when I haven't had quite so much to drink, they finished with a chuckle.

Gods bless them with the gift of story-

They are a romantic; a painter of words; a collector of beautiful moments. She is left in thorough awe of them, wondering of all the places they had been to and all they had learned there.

“What is the great truth of the world, Moss?” She asks, swiveling her ears to catch his words as if each one is a secret.

She is honored when they ask to see her again, though she regrets the idea of whiling away their brief visit here when there are so many sophisticated guests who could entertain him. Still, she finds herself smiling.

“So long as you have the time, Moss. I would like that.” She means it.

The wolf's piercing gaze shifted from one figure to the other, his eyes filled with awe. The world is much bigger than us, he spoke with a deep, contemplative tone. Bigger than you, me, queens, and kings, he looked towards the figures, the very reason for this gathering, servants and revelers.

He paused for a moment and then continued, Even the tallest mountains and the vastest oceans are just itty-bitty parts of it. "Of course the world is bigger than we are!" It seems so obvious to say it aloud. They paused  with a dry chuckle, their eyes weary. We often get so wrapped up in ourselves, and everything seems so catastrophic. Every little thing we do, or experience we have must have some higher meaning, he continued with a sideways glance to the hind leg and a nearly imperceptible curl of the greying lip. The wonder had vanished, replaced only by the tired voice of a wolf who had weathered the harsh reality that the earth did not care if he remained in it. But the truth is, the world won't come crumbling down. It'll just keep right on going, and we'll keep going with it.

Inhaling sharply, he turned to Eset with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders and a grin that highlighted a sudden shift to a chipper tone, Or, ya know, we won't. Limited options there, haha.

"I would like that."
There is sincerity in it, and he is just as sincere in the excited taps of his front paws.
For you, Miss Eset, I have all the time in the world.

Prompt: "your character feels like dancing, and asks the character beside them (thread prompt partner!) to join them on the dance floor!"

She listens. Eyes hold over their’s so intently so that when they track down over a wounded hind her own follows. She realizes then his trip was not clumsiness nor drunkenness but the scars of an old injury, one that perhaps still caused pain despite how it should have healed long ago.

“It is borrowed time we have here,” she agrees. But then it felt so important to her still, to do something worthy with the time that had been granted.

“Would you care to dance with me, Moss?” Not on the floor, not with the crowds. Here, in the shadows.

She lifts her paw with the hope they would fill it with their own. She would not let them stumble.

The question was so unexpected that Moss could not help but blink at Eset with wide eyes. A warm flush tinted their face, and in that flustered moment, a thousand words jumbled in their mind. When he finally attempted to reply, all that escaped him was a bubbly giggle, accompanied by a paw raised hastily to cover his mouth.

Moss glanced at her quickly before looking back over the crowd, sincerely glad that Eset wasn't a man as even despite that he was surely red enough to make a tomato jealous. I'm afraid I won't know the steps to any of your dances, they said, reaching out to take her hand.

“Let me show you,” she invites, steadying her grip as they rise from the floor to join her. “Keep your hinds soft and swing your shoulders, like this,” the fellahin demonstrates, beginning to sway her hips softly as an accordant melody hums over the crowd.

“Then I will step back with my right foot, as you step forward with your left,” she steals glances between his eyes and their feet, a grin blooming across her face.
In her culture the ballroom was a courting field or a stage for etiquette and shows of affluence. How truly good it felt to dance for no reason beyond their own entertainment!

Moss settled into the rhythm quickly, falling in time with the beat and meeting her grin with one of their own. So Miss Eset, he began, feeling confident enough to focus on something other than the steps, do you live here in the palace? It's very beautiful, like something I would have dreamed up as a pup.  The small wolf looked around, taking in the cavern's splendor again, I'm not sure I've ever seen a place as befitting of royalty.

“I do.” A moment passes, Muat-riya surreal enough to lure the fellahin's own admiring eyes. It took her breaths still; the tall vaults of ornamented stone and how laughter was cast about the room in a thousand trilling imitations. It is her mother who comes to mind, how she wishes she could share with her such grandeur. What would she think of her daughter working in a place so impossibly lovely?

“Must-riya is newly claimed, we are still settling into the palace,” Eset explains turning her gaze back to Moss with a soft smile. She releases a paw to spin herself and snakes back in close to whisper against his cheek:

“There are many secrets hidden within these walls.”

The man's eyes sparkled with curiosity at the woman's words, their body swaying to the rhythm of the melody. He stepped down the length of her flank to the beat of the song, tail twirling like a ribbon in the breeze, only to intertwine with Eset's when the music took a brief, anticipatory pause.

Oh? Moss echoed with an infectious curiosity, their voice alive with the vibrancy of the celebration. With a flourish, they spun Eset back into their embrace as the music surged once more. Will one of them tell me how you became such an amazing dancer?

Eset laughs into the spin, her bronze-ticked tail fanning out gracefully behind her. She hooks an arm at Moss’s elbow but he is surefooted enough to leave her a bit winded.

“Desert dances take only practice, wolf of Kvarsheim,” she grins as his eyes catch a flicker and gleam like two emeralds in the lowlight.

All the women of Shuyet’s menagerie were taught to  dance, something she was not inordinately gifted in. But she finds herself enjoying the steps now, which are not so languid- but brisk, leaving her breathless and absorbed in the movements, even moreso in unison with the partner she was warming to.

“You learn quickly, Moss!” She compliments breathlessly as the fellahin’s aria fades to stamps of riveting applause.

It's easy to learn when you have a fantastic teacher, The wolf quipped with a playful twinkle in their smoke-green eyes. Why, I'm sure anyone could do just as well with you there to guide their way! They grinned, practically glowing with admiration for the woman's skills, before letting out a breathless laugh and slumping against the wall.

The music's lively rhythm still echoed in their ears as they glanced around the bustling room, taking in the exuberant expressions on the faces of the other dancers.

Oh dear, Moss chuckled, their chest still heaving from exhilaration, I'm not sure of the last time I had such fun. They closed their eyes briefly, relishing the warmth of the moment and the joyous energy that radiated from the evening's celebration before opening them to meet Eset's gaze once more.

Flushed and giddy at the compliments, Eset finds her own footing and leans against the wall beside him. She is rewarded with his kind eyes and the bray of his own laughter.

“I'm not either, I feel-” She searches only a moment for the right word, “lighter.” It is true, she realizes with a little leap in her chest, and for now the soothing company of Moss chased the shadows from her mind.

“Thank you, for spending your evening with me.”

I should be thanking you, Miss Eset! The wolf exclaimed, his eyes growing wide.Why, a woman as stunning and kind as yourself could have your choice of anyone in this place! You could dance in the center of the room and wow the whole crowd! He swept his front paw grandly, emphasizing his point.

And yet, here you are, sitting in the shadows with little ol' me, Moss continued, his grin warm and infectious, hoping his compliments conveyed the depth of gratitude he felt! The appreciation! He hoped she could feel the same breathless delight that coursed through him.

You've made this evening truly special, They added earnestly, their gaze softening as they spoke. They reached out so that Eset might take his paw once more, to be met with a gentle, happy squeeze that said all of the things he was too tipsy to put into words.